Page 161 of Smoke and Fire
Perhaps I'd gone overboard.
To the north, the plume had doubled as the day progressed. A mushroom-like cloud billowed above it, marring the northwest sky with a dingy scar. It lingered in the upper atmosphere in bleak promise. A hint of burning wood lingered in the air.
Just in case, I left the news on inside the trailer where I could just overhear the headlines.
Of course, the one night that I neededBastian to respond quickly, he hadn’t.
Frustrated, I shoved my phone back into my shorts pocket and snatched the seventh book off the step. I couldn’t stop reading. Even if I wanted to stop, I wouldn’t. The books were too drawing, and it made perfect sense to me whyhe had women attempting to find Jess and out her. Bastian had serioustalent for writing lovers that longed for romance but didn’t know how to find it.
There were still thirteen books to go, with book twenty being the biggest cliffhanger of all, according to online forums. I’d never read this fast in my life, and it still felt too slow. I couldn’t read as quickly as my desire to hear his stories.
Would I feel the same way about Bastian in real life?
A picture ran through my mind. Bastian cuddled up at my side, playing with my hair, unraveling a story out loud. I’d be snuggled in, probably finding the perfect GIF on my phone to punctuate his drama. I blinked the image away, startled that it had appeared at all. This twitterpation was out of hand.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I yanked it out.
Sione:Word is out that they’re about to issue voluntary evacuations to the north of the Pineville area. That’s you, cuz. You HAD to pick the trailer park up in the mountains, not the one on the lake bed.
My stomach clenched.
Dahlia:What does voluntary evacuation mean?
Sione:Means you leave if you want, and danger is coming. But it’s not on the doorstep.
Dahlia:Should I take the RV somewhere else if that happens?
Sione:Let's see what they say. You’re probably still safe for a while. But we’ll need to pay attention.
His answer didn’t help me feel any better, however.
Dahlia:What about Adventura?
Sione:Mark wants to wait until we get the official announcement. There’s a highway between us and the fire, so we’re good.
“Danget.”
The word came out of me in a hiss. I was about to shove the phone back in my pocket when it buzzed again. Bastian’s name flickered across the screen in a call. My stomach fluttered when I answered, then pressed it to my ear.
“Hello?”
His rolling voice responded with a casual, “Hey,” that sent my stomach into flips. The sound of his voice felt like submerging into a steaming bath. For how frantic my video had been, he sounded calm. My response came quick and a bit shaky, but it had nothing to do with The Situation.
Everything to do with his smooth-as-butterhey.
“Hey," I choked out and ran a hand through my hair to get it out of my face. “Sorry if my video was a bit panicked. I just . . . ah . . ."
My mind stopped working.
“No, it’s fine. Not your fault.”
His voice was low, quick, like he didn’t want anyone to hear him. I could picture him leaning against a tree, standing away from a crowd of firefighters, head bent in concentration as he spoke.
“You got my message?” I asked.
“Yeah. Just now. I only have a few minutes.”
